Improvement in apparatus for collecting floating oil from streams



NiTnp STATES PATENT Trios.

E. C. SUMMERS, OF HUNTINGDON, PENNSYLVANIA.

IMPROVEMENT IN APPARATUS FOR COLLECTING FLOATING OIL FROM STREAMS.

To all 'whom t may concern:

Be it known that I, E; C. SUMMERS, of Huntingdon, in the county of Huntingdon and State of Pennsylvania, have invented a new and useful Machine for the Collection of Oil from the Surface of Streams; and I hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description of the machine and the operation of the same, reference being had to the annexed drawings, making a part of thisspeciication, in which- 4 Figure l is a perspective view of my invention. Fig. 2 is a vertical longitudinal section through the middle of the trough D, chute E, and tank I. Fig. 3 is a plan or top view of one of the troughs A. Fig. et is an end view of the saine. Fig. is a perspective view of the mouthpiece K oi' the pipe, to be used when the oil is to be removed direct to a place of deposit farther than the tank I.

Like letters in all the gures represent the same parts.

The nature of my invention will be understood by the following description.

To enable others skilled in the art to make and use. the invention, I proceed to describe its construction and operation.

The skimmer is composed of a series of troughs, A, which are secured together by means of the hinges c, for the purpose of allowing each piece to accommodate itself readily to the surface of the stream and effect a convenience in the transportation of the apparatus by folding the pieces together'. The said pieces of troughs I usually make the whole length of boards or planks, and connect them all together in the manner represented in Figs. l and 2.

The combined trough is stretched partially or clear across the oil-stream, with the open side toward its head, the rope bbein g confined to a permanent object, and the ring c made fast t0 an object farther-down the stream, so

, that as the trough skims the oil from the surface ofthe stream as it floats over the horizontal part of the same it will be carried to the lower end of the trough by the action of the stream.

The troughs A are constructed, usually, as represented in Figs. 3 andet, in which B represents a board or plank, and C a bent plate or sheet of iron, the horizontal part d being intended to be sunk by the weight of the trough,

or by additional weights secured thereto, or by anchors, if necessary, so as to bring the said horizontal part sufficiently below the surface of the water to catch all the oil and a portion of the water for it to oat on. rl`he-sheet C is secured to the board or plank B by means of the screws c c e. 'lhe projecting tlangefof the said sheet is for the purpose of preventing the oil from being forced over the trough by the splashing or surging of the stream.. rllhere is iirml'y secured to the front end of the combined trough A a trough, D, as represented in Figs. l and 2. The said trough D is closed on each side for the proper reception of thc screen and chute, which I will presently describe, and to give efficiency to their operation. ln the connected end of the said trough there is a grate or screen, g, to prevent anything but the'oil and water from passingthrough the trough. In order to separate the greater portion of the water from the oil which passes through the` trough D a chute, E, is provided, which is adinstable by means of the screws F and G, the former working in the plate It, which is screwed to the upper edge of the trough D by means 0f the screws i, the coil of the screw F being connected with the bottom of the chute, as represented in Fig. 2. The screw G works in the cross-piece of the vertical frame H, which is permanently attached to the sides ofthe chute, and has its headed tail end connected with the cross-piecej, which is screwed to the trough D by means of the screws 7c. In consequence of the trough D confining the water on both sides as it passes through the saine, the person in attendance may so regulate the chute E, by means of the adjusting-screws, as to pass only a small portion of the water with the oil into the receiving-tank I, the main portion being discharged through the lower end of the trough beneath the chute. A small proportion of the water, however, will pass through the chute into the tank, which, as it sinks to the bottom of the same, may be discharged by withdrawing the stopple J near the bottoni of the tank.

The operation is as follows: The trough A being secured in position partially or clear across an oil-stream, as above specified, the end l being farther up the stream than the end 2, as the oil iioats on the surface of the stream it passes into the trough and is floated through the same by means of the water bcneath it, and passes through the grate or screen g into the trough D, the oil and a small portion of the water passing through the chute into the tank I, and the rest of the Water. being discharged through the channel l, as above specified. When a body of water has occupied the lower portion of the tank it is withdrawn therefrom by removing the stopple J, leaving the oil above it.

The tank I, in practice, is placed on a rm foundation, with a sufiicient space between its top edge and the chute to allow the adjustment of the latter. When itis desirable to transport the oil direct farther than the tank I a pipe is connected with the chute or tank for that purpose.

Fig. 5 represents amouth-piece, K, ofthe pipe, in connection with'the chute. The connection may be made, however, by closing lthe end of the chute and connecting the pipe witht-he end piece in any convenient manner, it' preferred.

I do not claim, broadly, collecting surfaceoi1 by means otl a boom, nor the combination of a oating vessel containing a tank for the reception ot' the oil, with an arm or arms for conducting the surface-oil thereto; but

What I do claim is l. The combination ot the boards or planks B with the bent sheets of iron C, when ar-` ranged to form a loating boom for collecting surface-oil, substantially in the manner hereinbefore described. l

2. The combination of' the trough D with 'the trough or boom A, for conining the oil and water as it passes through the former, tov

EDWARD o. stnmvnns.v [L. s]

Witnesses i I Jol-IN SPANGLER, J. D. CAMPBELL. 

